Cultivate Economic Growth in Oaxaca, Mexico!

Share to Maximize

IMPACT

Cultivate Economic Growth in Oaxaca, Mexico!

Projects with Under-served Communities (PUC) is a year-long project that combines the work of engineering and social work students at the University of Texas at Austin with international partners and under-served communities abroad. The students spend a year designing a project with an under-served community, and then travel to the community to implement the design. Combining technical engineering and service, the students gain hands-on global experience while making an impact on a community abroad.

Our group is made up of eleven students who will travel to Oaxaca in the summer of 2018 to make improvements to a mesquite flour processing facility in the community of Santiago Suchilquitongo. We are partnering with a non-governmental organization (NGO), graduate students from a university in the region, and other community members to assist in improving both the process and the facility of their mesquite flour production site.

Our NGO, Tejiendo Alianzas (Interweaving Alliances), is a participatory community development program that helps residents create value from their own resources. In our case, Tejiendo Alianzas is helping the community use Oaxaca’s mesquite as an economic opportunity. Mesquite pods are sorted, dried, and milled to be sold as mesquite flour. However, the drying process is ineffective and the humidity of the region causes many of the pods not to dry properly. Consequently, the community lost 50% of its harvest in 2016. Our NGO has asked PUC Mexico to improve the drying process and increase the product output.

Our goal is to collaborate with our NGO to promote economic stability and work with members of the Suchilquitongo community to improve their quality of life. We will achieve this by improving the capacity of the mesquite flour production by making the drying process more sustainable and effective. We will also make structural improvements to the facility that will allow the mesquite project partners to produce flour as efficiently as possible. Some of our potential projects include designing a pulley system to lift heavy bags of mesquite pods onto the roof to dry and applying sealant onto the concrete of the building to control humidity. Our work in the facility can potentially provide a model for future iterations of this project across the region.

This project will directly affect the mesquite project partners and their families that own and operate this facility. We hope to make a positive change to the amount of mesquite flour they produce and to cultivate a strong relationship through community engagement activities. This project will support economic growth and stability for these partners that will in turn affect the entire community of Suchilquitongo.

Become a part of this amazing opportunity by donating now! 100% of the funds donated will go to purchasing the drying station, modifying the facility, and hiring a local contractor to implement the changes. Donations are tax deductible, and some companies will match donations, so check HERE to see if your employer will double your donation.

Click HERE to follow us on Facebook to get updates about our progress, or you can visit our website HERE to learn more about the team members and collaborators for the project. Thank you for your contribution!

$50

Galleta (Cookie)

$100

Flan

The mesquite tree is one of the most common trees of the
southwestern United States and parts of Mexico. It is a member of
the legume family of plants which includes peanuts, alfalfa, clover, and beans.

$10,000

Tarta de Queso (Cheesecake)

$15,000

Chef Maestro (Master Chef)

The mesquite project is the engine that has started the development of the underserved community of Suchilquitongo. As Master Chef, you are the engine that allows us to implement the drying stations in Suchilquitongo. You provide us with the recipe for success!